Injured taxi-passenger smashed his way out of a moving cab after a fare row

Chesterfield magistrates' court.

Jon Cooper

Published:11:10Thursday 14 June 2018

Share this article

A boozed-up taxi-passenger smashed the window of a cab and threw himself out of the moving vehicle after he feared he was being taken prisoner during a fare row.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Tuesday, June 12, how Joshua Daniel Parfitt, 28, of Welbeck Road, Bolsover, was left covered in blood, cuts and grazes after he admitted causing criminal damage to the taxi’s rear window in Chesterfield.

Prosecuting solicitor Mark Fielding said: “It is right to observe he broke the window seeking to escape from the taxi after a drama between him and the taxi-driver.

“The defendant was in drink and he hailed a taxi or arranged for a taxi to take him home.

“It is quite common for taxi-drivers to ask for a fare up-front which he did and all the money the defendant had in his possession was given to the taxi-driver.”

There was not quite enough money to complete the fare, according to Mr Fielding, and the defendant offered to pay the difference on arrival at his home but the taxi-driver did not agree.

Mr Fielding added: “The driver was not having it and decided to take him - as one impression - as a prisoner and he turned the taxi around, locked the doors and began taking him back to the taxi company.”

Parfitt panicked and started to try and unlock the taxi, according to Mr Fielding, and he was injured in a struggle and he put out one of the windows and escaped.

Mr Fielding added: “He was acting out of character in challenging circumstances.”

Tree surgeon Parfitt, who is of previous good character, pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage after the incident about 3am, on May 20.

Defence solicitor Karl Meakin said: “Both parties clearly had some level of blame for what took place.

“Mr Parfitt ended up in quite a state as a result and he suffered aesthetically nasty injuries and was covered in blood and scratches and grazes after falling out of a moving vehicle.”

Mr Meakin added that the taxi-driver had escalated the row “beyond the pale”.